Vice regent interrogated over graft<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
A team of investigators questioned the vice regent of Way Kanan,
\nLampung province, on Monday on suspicion of graft involving Rp
\n556 million (US$62,000).<\/p>\n
The team from the Blambangan Umpu Prosecutor's Office named
\nVice Regent Marsidi Hasan a suspect in the case after
\ninterrogating him and 12 witnesses.<\/p>\n
Besides Marsidi, the head of the development body of the Way
\nKanan administration, Haris Fadilah, and Raden Arianto, a private
\nsector employee, were also named as suspects in the misuse of
\nfunds from the Medicine Procurement and Basic Health Service
\nProgram at the local health office in 2001.<\/p>\n
Raden Arianto was detained at the Kotabumi Penitentiary in
\nNorth Lampung for two months.<\/p>\n
During questioning, Marsidi was asked to clarify why he
\nappointed the firm CV 939, which is not certified or qualified as
\na medicine procurement company, to oversee the program. He was
\nalso asked about alleged markups in the procurement of medicine
\nby him, in cooperation with the company.<\/p>\n
After questioning Marsidi and other witnesses, prosecutors
\nconcluded that the state may have suffered losses of Rp 556
\nmillion from the allotted program budget of Rp 804 million.<\/p>\n
Marsidi told reporters that he was dumbfounded at being
\ninterrogated as a suspect because he had never been questioned or
\nreceived any summons previously.<\/p>\n
Regarding Haris Fadilah, prosecutors said he had been detained
\nfor a month, but due to illness was released and treated at the
\nRyacudu Hospital in Kotabumi, North Lampung, and the Abdul
\nMoeloek Hospital in Bandar Lampung.<\/p>\n
The head of the Blambangan Umpu Prosecutor's Office, A. Rusydi
\nNour, also said that because Raden Arianto was suffering from
\ndepression, his status had been changed to city arrest in April.<\/p>\n
\"The investigation is not over. There are many steps to
\ncomplete, starting with questioning suspects, examinations by the
\nState Audit Board and questioning more witnesses,\" Rusydi said.<\/p>\n
He said the misappropriated funds were from the program's 2001
\nadded-cost budget, and that a truckload of medicine from the
\nhealth office's warehouse had been seized as evidence in the
\ncase.<\/p>\n
He added that the names of witnesses and a decision on the
\nstatus of the suspects would not be released because it could
\nhamper the examination of other witnesses. The prosecutor's
\noffice will provide more information once the investigation is
\ncomplete, he added.<\/p>\n
The investigation of the vice regent comes at the height of
\nnationwide investigations into allegedly corrupt local
\ngovernments and councillors.<\/p>\n
Over the last several months, prosecutors in several provinces
\nhave been investigating graft cases involving councillors and
\ngovernment officials, including in West Sumatra and West Java
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
In one case, the investigations resulted in a verdict by a
\ndistrict court in West Sumatra that sent dozens of councillors to
\njail for graft. The councillors have appealed the verdict.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vice-regent-interrogated-over-graft-1447893297",
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